Love Is Objectionable
by twilightmask
Summary: Among attorneys and prosecutors alike, love is a touchy subject. A series of oneshots based on the accord of reviewers. I'll take anything! :D AN note on the bottom of the first chapter explains all. T for safety. R&R please!
1. Coffee Date

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN/HAVE CREATED ACE ATTORNEY OR ANY AFFILIATED CHARACTERS. I just feel like making up some oneshots. :)**

**Love Is Objectionable**

_**MiaXDiego**_

_**.:Coffee Date:. **_

_It was pretty simple. Exactly five, five inch strides to her desk, a lean down, charming wink, a quick, casual proposal for a date, and…well, she was supposed to smile that gorgeous smile she possessed, and say "Yes!" with overflowing enthusiasm, but all I felt was the sting of rejection time and time again. I may have done this about fifteen times on a good day in adamant hope that she'd eventually agree, but Mia was tough and reluctant to do absolutely anything I brought up. _

_She didn't sigh with pleasure when I came close to her._

_She didn't swoon when I was inches away from her face._

_And she definitely, did NOT ever, ever want to spend a dinner with me…at least that's what she stated repeatedly. Mia called me a love-sick puppy, but I just called her my kitten._

_Well, it was a good thing I was just as stubborn and determined._

_Now that I look back on it, even though I was pretty irritable with my situation, I was grateful that she didn't go off finding a new attorney partner and mentor. I guess something made her want to stay. I'd like to hope that it was because of me, but I really think it was because the only available attorney to work with at the time was Beline Duboise._

_I don't want to give off the wrong message because you seem like thoughtful, innocent people so far to still be reading this, but out of all the girls that were interested in me, Beline was second to Mia. She and I had actually gone out with her a few times before, but I had slowed my whole life as soon as I saw my lovely kitten. Nevertheless, Mia always made it painstakingly crystal-clear that she would have absolutely nothing to do with Beline._

_Eh, it was probably some feminine thing that even today I still wouldn't understand._

_I do remember how I managed to steal our very first date from Mia as well as her heart…and I guess I owe it all to Ms. Duboise in the end. That's the main reason I still remember that petite, yet snobbish French lady…_

"You mind if I leave these with you, kitten?"

"No, and where are you going?" Mia swiveled around in her chair to face her partner and frowned. She couldn't believe he was still calling her "kitten"…

"I've got this outing with a bunch of my friends that I gotta get to…"

"Oh, I'm sure you can miss ONE, Mr. Armando. I may be your protégé, but I'm not going to…"

Diego sighed, running his fingers through his dark hair.

"Can you just hold onto 'em?"

"This outing isn't that important that you have to go." A little pout formed onto Mia's thin, pale lips. She was so cute when she did that…maybe she was a tad bit jealous that she couldn't come along?

He stared at her blankly, and she felt the heat swell into her cheeks. She turned around quickly, flushed, waking Diego from his "trance". He scratched the back of his head and sighed again.

"I promise to do it as soon as I get back, Mia…" He tried assuring her, even using her real name to show his earnestness. She wouldn't hear of it though and gave him a bit of a sharp glare.

"The last time you said that, you came back at around one in the morning! I'm not going to be the one sitting alone in this office with this crappy lamp and all these papers! We're supposed to have a court turnabout tomorrow, remember? It's my first one! No, of course you don't because I'm the one managing all the time while you're off doing other ridiculous…!"

Mia was cut short when suddenly Diego was surprisingly close to her face. His dark, coffee coloured eyes sparkled with amusement, and his breath smelt faintly of…his coffee blend #107, she presumed.

"Would I lie to you?" He asked her quietly, yet intensely. Diego was playing with her emotions a bit, but it was more like playing with string with a kitten…

Harmless.

She blinked her wide eyes, "Well…"

"One straight-shot answer please, Ms. Fey." The right corner of his lips turned up when he noted her embarrassment.

"Ye…er…No…" Mia gave in after she saw a skeptical look in his eyes when she was about to say "yes".

"Hm, you never do seem to say 'yes' at the proper times."

"Like when?"

"Like when I ask you to do things or come out on a date with me." He grinned a little foolishly, and Mia swept her hair in front of her eyes, so he couldn't see her blushing reaction.

The front door to the office opened loudly, and Mia quickly distanced herself from Diego…similar to how a cat's shoulders scrunch up in fear or anger. A bob-cut haired lady stepped in and gave a dazzling smile to the both of them. She then pursed her lips when she saw Mia glance away.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?" She rested a hand on her right hip, cocking her head a little, her blonde hair bouncing as she did so.

"No, you can come in." Mia responded instantly. Diego made a face at Mia. Beline slid next to him, sitting on his desk, swinging her legs a little.

"Are you going to come, Diego?" She asked him passionately, batting her eyelashes a little. He raised an eyebrow, glanced to see Mia's reaction, and he could've sworn he had heard her hiss like a real cat.

"Uh, soon, I guess." He replied, a little dazed. Beline smiled smugly and began playing with his tie.

"Good then. We have many things to talk about and do." She twirled a stray piece of his hair, and Diego finally realized Mia literally trying to glare holes into Beline's forehead. He smiled with a bit of knowingness and played along with the game.

"Then we better get going." Diego grinned, sweeping his hair with the hand that wasn't in Beline's. Mia reddened a little in frustration and embarrassment. They began to make their way to the door, when suddenly Diego turned around and stared straight at Mia. He felt the electric shock through his system, as they locked eyes.

"Are you sure you're too busy to come along, Mia?" His voice edged itself with earnestness and the sincere want for her to come along. Truthfully, he didn't really want to go without her. It wouldn't be much fun. He also didn't want her complaining that he hadn't offered in the first place, but that was beside the point.

She hesitated, glancing quickly at the case on the desk, and then back at him. Beline smiled coyly from behind, her arms wrapped around one of Diego's.

"You don't have to if you really don't want to." She smugly smiled, and Mia suddenly had the urge to choke her with the scarf around her very own neck. Her tone was all too much for Mia to bear. She stood up a little slowly and dropped her pen onto her desk. The noise was a short one, yet to Diego it was a ringing sign of offense and Mia's preparation to strike Beline down.

"I don't mind attending, Beline." The sharp, almost confident look on her face resembled the ones that she put on strictly for trials. She even managed to put a little, sarcastic smile onto her face. Diego could only imagine the kind of intense determination that Mia was willing to render, and he admired her sudden willingness. It was surprising how quickly Mia had suddenly agreed, but she had, and he was satisfied. He quietly thanked Beline for being so annoying to Mia for the moment.

Beline frowned slightly.

"Let's hurry up." She shortly told Diego and briskly walked out of the room, leaving him and Mia. Diego gave Mia a smile.

"Hurry up, Mia."

"Don't tell me to hurry up." She sniffed a little and walked past him out the door, yet she could've sworn she had heard him purr, as he brushed by her shoulder.

It wasn't very long until suddenly Mia found herself sitting amongst crowded masses trying to sip a bit of her coffee. Besides Diego, Beline, a few other prosecutors and attorneys, there were tons of people trying to pack into the small lounge. People were sitting on tables, squeezing into uncomfortable places, and just trying to freshen up in the bathroom was an adventuresome challenge. It made her regret coming a little, but she did enjoy spending time with Diego.

Diego had offered to hoist her up onto his shoulders as a more comfortable place to sit, but she had made sure that she had taken **that **thought out of his mind quickly.

He did, however, promise to stay near her for protection reasons. Mia had protested that she was plenty prepared to protect herself, she was after all a defense attorney, nevertheless, he insisted on staying with her. He complained a little about the coffee every once and a while, but for the most part, they talked about more interesting topics.

"So, how's the family?" Diego asked her, sipping his own coffee instead of the lounge's.

"They're fine."

"The last time I saw your…uh…younger sister, she was this high." He made a measurement from the ground up to the middle of his thigh. Mia laughed a little.

"I don't remember the last time you saw her."

"Feels like years ago. Grossberg had me go over and check in on you at your village around the holidays."

"That **was** a pretty long time ago." She drank a little coffee from her cup.

"What was her name again? Mami…Mimi…?"

Mia giggled. Oh, how angry Maya would've gotten if she had realized that he had forgotten her name. "Maya."

"Right, right. Well, I got the 'M' part."

"She really liked you." Mia smiled back.

"Really? Wow, I'm flattered. Tell her I'm just a little too old for her though." He grinned. Mia laughed again.

"I could pick up her older sister though. She's not so bad."

Mia blushed at this and swirled her coffee around with her spoon.

"Are you sure you don't want some of my coffee?" He offered. Diego couldn't imagine how she could still drink that watered-down, disgusting concoction, and he eyed it distastefully. Mia shook her head slightly. She didn't really taste anything wrong with the coffee.

"No, it's okay. Your coffee's always too strong and bitter anyways."

"I can make it sweet."

"Well, of course, you just add sugar."

"No, no that ruins the natural taste of the coffee. I'll show you a different way." He poured her a little bit of his coffee into a shot glass. Mia raised an eyebrow but decided to go along with whatever he was planning out. He slid it over, smiling that half smile that Mia had learned to trust. She licked her lips a little before confidently downing it. Diego almost laughed at her furrowed, determined eyebrows. Mia closed her eyes and carefully took in the taste. It still tasted extremely bitter…and hot…and…

Suddenly, she felt something upon her lips. It tasted like a sweeter coffee, and Mia was tempted to open her eyes, but she didn't, feeling that if she did, she may've been too frightened to continue.

She contemplated the taste over again.

Yes, it was sweet, much more to her liking. It was warm and…comforting. She leaned in ever so slightly, unsure as to why, but something told her to just take it in. It was light and indulgent, and Mia had to admit, she pressed for the taste further and further, opening her mouth slightly. Her heart beat faster and faster and faster…until the pulse plummeted, and her heart felt like it was about to stop when she felt the fleeting sensation disappear gently.

She snapped her eyes open. Diego had his hand rubbing the back of his neck, and he was glancing off somewhere in the distance. He chewed his lower lip, and he avoided Mia's eye contact which was…unusual. She was dazed, having been in another train of thought for seconds that seemed like hours, yet she was conscious enough to realize exactly what had happened.

She absent-mindedly slid her tongue over her lips again, the remnants of the kiss still lingering. Mia was grateful that Diego had pulled away after a few, mere seconds. She was afraid of what she would've done if it had been longer.

She reddened slowly and then looked all around her for peeping eyes, trying to hide herself by pulling in closer to her body. Diego gave a little grin.

"No worries, kitten. No need to scrunch up like that."

She blushed.

Although she had kept it a pretty good secret, Mia undeniably felt some sort of attraction to the defense attorney. It was hard being around him and being professional at the same time, Diego being who he was. He was smart, quick on his feet, and an excellent attorney in court. He constantly reminded Mia of the importance of certain morals during court and with the client. He was always looking out for everybody, giving that suave smile, a sarcastic remark here and there…

He could be so fickle sometimes.

She had to admit; she had learned much from him…and some unimportant things along the way, like how to properly make coffee for him.

She always messed it up anyhow.

Diego brushed some of her hair out of her eyes.

"You shouldn't keep your hair in your face, kitten." He commented abruptly. _How could he possibly be thinking about my hair when we just…?_

"Your eyes are too beautiful." He smiled a little.

"Stop lying." She commanded.

"I'm not allowed to lie as a defense attorney, Ms. Fey! I'm shocked that you would insinuate such a thing!" He, in mock surprise, placed a hand on his chest.

"Well, then you're misinformed."

"That can't be possible. I'm seeing them with my own two eyes right now."

The heat in her cheeks, plus the added heat from all of the patrons in the coffee house was making Mia feel dizzy. Diego's expressions turned a little more serious.

"Hey, kitten. You feeling alright?" He placed a hand to her forehead, bringing his face close to hers again. Their noses touched lightly, and Mia blinked.

"I…it's just a little warm in here. I'll go out and get some fresh air." She stood up and sidled her way past people. Diego's hand shot after her but missed, so he took it upon himself to go follow her, determined to press though.

Mia finally burst through the small doors and was surprised to feel a splash of raindrops upon her pale skin. Surprised, she blinked and leapt back a bit, hitting into someone behind her…with an umbrella?

"Oof! Watch where you're backing up, kitten!" He laughed. She blinked up at him, not knowing what to say. He wasn't about to let her off the hook that easily…she could sense it.

"Do you need an umbrella for your way back to the offices?"

"I-I'm not going there." Mia protested, but she knew she had to get back and pick up some papers for that case sometime…

"I'll take you there myself." Diego asserted, and he shifted the umbrella so that it would fully cover Mia.

"No, that's fine. Have fun here." She insisted, waving a hand. He shook his head, smiling.

"Ah, but Mia…it's not going to be any fun at all without you." His warm, inviting tone almost made Mia melt into a little puddle amongst the other ones due to the rain.

"O-okay." She replied, both defeated and dazed at the same time. He grinned flawlessly, and Mia carefully locked her arm onto his outstretched elbow without any trace of reluctance. Truthfully, she appreciated his act of kindness and thoughtfulness.

"Trying to be a gentleman, are you?" She gave him a small smile, as she glanced up at him. He laughed back.

"Well, I try to be a gentleman most of the time!" He took up one of her cold, slender hands and kissed the fingertips gently before finally pecking the back of her hand. She blushed and absent-mindedly caressed the hand that he had done such a favour unto. The rain pattered lightly, withholding its noises, as if holding its breath in the moment. She leaned her head carefully onto his shoulder, and he smiled affectionately down at her, kissing the top of her head.

"Kitten, you need to stop being so sweet. I doubt that you needed that coffee any sweeter." He gently scolded her.

"I'm not that sweet." She batted him playfully. He slowed his pace and soon they were at a standstill. Mia nervously flashed her eyes up at him, but he seemed so calm. He held her chin and bent down ever so slightly to kiss her fully on her hesitant lips, nearly letting go of the umbrella in the urge to wrap his arms around her waist the next second. Mia took the umbrella from him shakily, putting her free arm around his neck, as he rested his newly liberated arms on her hips.

The rain trickled down unevenly off the umbrella, and it slid down his back, but he wasn't concerned with getting wet. She still tasted sweet, as he suspected, and he enjoyed every single movement of her mouth along his. He couldn't help himself, and thankfully Mia couldn't either.

Mia felt the same heart racing adrenaline shiver through her body, despite the fact that he had pecked her lightly before. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to get used to his kisses, but she was willing to follow through. She felt more and more intoxicated by every touch

There was a low rumble of thunder, but it more resembled the approving purr of a cat. Neither of them had admitted a single vow of desire or, dare she think it, love, but Mia felt right. She didn't know what love was supposed to feel like, but she felt a little fuzzy, and she was shaking all over, either from the rain, or from something intangible. She felt secure that he would always be there for her. She was still "a kitten", but naturally she knew that bit by bit she was growing up, with Diego watching over her.

A bit of a breeze blew by.

On the contrary, Diego had thought that he had understood what love was supposed to feel like, but the swirling mess of emotions in his stomach contradicted otherwise. She was…so different to him. Intriguing, even. Her smile dazzled him every time. Her voice was a welcomed tone. He felt her fingers in his hair, and he trembled a little, something that had never happened with another. He felt such true compassion, it was indescribable, and even if he tried to explain it, it would probably sound less wonderful that it really was.

Breathing being the limiting factor, he realized the end that was imminent.

He pulled away slightly, feeling a slight ache in his heart at the removal. His eyes pierced into hers, and he spoke just above a whisper,

"Take that."

And she smiled.

**AN: I wanted this long oneshot to be set the night before Mia's trial. Knowing this, when I read over I feel that the story gives a more nostalgic feel. :) Another thing about the series of drabbles I'm going to write about: THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE BASED UPON DIFFERENT PAIRINGS. My sister already shot the next one by saying that she wanted an EdgeworthXWright pairing (which I suppose I'm obliged to write as a sister...=.=") but I'm going to be open to other suggestions, too! Leave a comment/review telling me which ones you guys would prefer. :) I started out with MiaXDiego because I figured it might agree with most people (although I could be wrong...) and well, it's my favorite. x)**

**Another point I should bring up is that I would greatly appreciate people pointing out any spelling/grammatical errors. It helps me mechanically as a writer. :) Flames are okay, too! It's okay if you hate me! :D I like reviews of any sort. :) It just lets me know that people are reading.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! Summer's upon us! (but for some reason it's raining in my story...:D) Bye!**


	2. Have a Cookie

**_PhoenixXEdgeworth_**

**_.:Have a Cookie:._**

_He hated it._

_Every time he glanced in his direction, he would have that goofy smile on his face…and…well, every time __Phoenix__ did that, Miles could feel a stupid blush beginning to rise onto his face._

_He didn't know why, and he didn't really care to find out._

_Ever since they were children running around on the playground, Miles remembered always feeling uncomfortable around __Phoenix__. He was always so loud and rambunctious…it had always brought unneeded attention to the both of them, plus Larry at times._

* * *

"Get off the swing! It's my turn!" Larry pouted indignantly at Phoenix.

"No! I didn't get a full five minutes yet, right Miles? You were keeping track, right?"

The mature young boy glanced up at his reluctant friend.

"You were on for five minutes and fifteen seconds."

Phoenix's face fell, and Larry laughed out loud while pointing at him.

"Ha, ha, loser! Now get off! My turn!"

The two of them wrestled for the worn out swing seat, and Miles rolled his eyes. He didn't understand why both of them were so obsessed with a simple swing set. It was probably dirty all over with germs, rust was on the metal, and who knew how many behinds had sat on that…

There was a loud 'oof', as Larry shoved Phoenix backwards. The spiky-haired boy's face turned bright red in pain and anger.

"OW, LARRY! That really hurt!" He screamed at him, throwing a quick punch that landed on Larry's stomach. The other boy cried out in pain and pushed him back.

"Stop it, Nick!"

"You stop it!"

They growled at each other, ready to give black eyes, and they probably would've had it not been for one cravat-wielding gentleman. Miles stepped in between them giving them both a light push.

"Aren't you both supposed to be best friends? Why are you fighting and arguing if you're friends?" He demanded.

"Did you not **just **see what, Larry did?"

Miles sighed, "I don't find it much of a crime…"

Phoenix snarled and stuck his tongue out, a serious felony to the rest of the kids on the playground. They all chorused in "oohs", gathering around the small space. Miles glanced around himself.

"What?" He snapped angrily.

"You gotta fight him now." Larry grinned foolishly, licking his lips.

"Oh, be quiet. I'm not going to fight Phoenix. There's no point in that." The fair-skinned boy huffed, "It'd be a clear **contradiction**." He emphasized the complicated word.

His rival rolled his eyes, "Stop it with the words you stole from your daddy, Miles."

"It's not stealing! It's learning…something you clearly haven't picked up on, Phoenix Wright!" He snapped. Normally, Miles was a cool and collected character. The teachers found it remarkably odd, and the girls found it remarkably dreamy, but in any case, he never really raised his voice.

Until now.

Miles only lost his patience when somebody mocked the court of law or his father, whom he adored dearly. Now was one of those times that he just wanted to let go of all his ethics and morals and have at it, but he restrained himself. Phoenix just needed to be properly taught.

"A contradiction is a clashing of facts. Something false amongst the truth, now if we analyze the situation at hand, and using a common proverb…" He cleared his throat, "Two wrongs don't make a right."

Larry hooted with laughter, "Oh yeah they do! Check out what Phoenix's parents made!"

The playground burst into giggles and snorts of uncontrollable enjoyment. Miles gave Larry a deathly serious glare and turned his attention back to Phoenix. The young child was breathing heavily in preparation for crying, but his lower lip stayed strong.

"Fine!" He screamed, "Have your stupid swing! I'm going home!" He turned away quickly, brushing a tear from his eye. It was too quickly done for any of the other kids to see, but Miles saw it. He felt a pang of guilt like he never had before when Phoenix raced off down the road into the setting sun. The only noise he could hear was the pattering of his worn out shoes, as they thumped along the brittle sidewalk. Although it grew further and further away, Miles still felt the fast paced tapping against his heart.

There was a sudden, faint cry in the distance, as Phoenix tripped over his own feet. He had been trying to run so fast that he had fallen, and he sat there, far away from the playground, whimpering.

Edgeworth, all of a sudden, felt an intense anger and rage build up inside of his tiny body, and his sharp eyes slit holes into the rest of the laughing children. How **dare** they laugh at such an inhuman remark? How **dare** they giggle at his friend? They quieted down in his silent fury, and he stalked over to Larry.

"H-hey, Miles…uh, look…it was all supposed to be a joke…I-um, didn't mean it…!" The childish boy squirmed backwards, as Miles grew closer and closer. He squeezed his eyes shut, as the other boy towered over him.

"That wasn't a very funny joke." Miles simply spoke, agitation present in his quivering tone.

"Y-yeah, I know but…"

Larry shouted in pain, and all the kids crowded around to see what had happened. He gripped his cheek tightly, and blood rushed to the stricken area, turning it a tomato red. Miles was bent over, as if he had slapped someone incredibly hard, but nobody could believe that reasonable, responsible, mature Miles had done such a deed. The young gentleman stood up stiffly, wiped his hands off on his pants, and quickly walked away from the scene. Children called after him yelling all sorts of nonsense, and a few adults ran over to the huddled crowd with concerned looks.

Miles went from a walk into a run in Phoenix's direction, unable to see the crouched shadow any longer.

"He should be here somewhere…" He murmured, examining the ground closely. The sidewalk was definitely disturbed, and miniscule drops of blood littered themselves all over. Miles carefully followed the little blood droplets, knowing that they would lead him to Phoenix.

The shadows grew longer and longer, as the sun fell lower and lower towards the horizon. Miles felt his worry build up, realizing that Phoenix might've been farther away than he had expected. He was almost about to give up hope, when he heard a gasp of air. He twirled around and saw his friend curled up behind a trashcan.

Phoenix's knees were badly bruised and scraped from early, and the wounds dripped the blood down his skinny legs. He glanced up instantaneously with his large blue eyes, still welled up with tears. He had been trying, unsuccessfully, to rub the redness off himself. Miles' eyebrows narrowed in seriousness, as he bent down and took off his cravat. Phoenix watched him wide-eyed, as his friend took his prized possession and wiped up the blood. The cravat was soaked by the time everything was cleaned the best that he could. The other child tried to keep him from helping any further.

"I-it's okay, Miles. Don't worry about me. I'll be f-fine." Phoenix cringed, as he tried to pull himself up onto his feet. Edgeworth immediately tried to keep him sitting down.

"No, you're not okay, Phoenix…clearly…"

Phoenix blushed at his sarcasm.

"I'm going to help you get home." Miles announced. Although he personally wasn't very confident in his muscles, he could always try…

His friend objected, "You have to go home though! Your daddy is gonna worry about you!"

Phoenix tried to get himself up again and partially succeeded, holding onto Miles' hand. They both heaved and finally Wright was able to stand up. He was a little wobbly and had to lean on Miles for support. Although his little body felt like collapsing under the weight of Phoenix, he kept telling himself that he needed to do this for him.

He wasn't going to abandon him like everyone else.

"Maybe I can find a wagon or something…" Miles thought out loud. Phoenix winced through every step the boys took. Although the bleeding had stopped for the most part, he had taken a pretty bad fall. Subconsciously, Miles scolded Phoenix for being so clumsy, but there wasn't really anything he could do about it right now.

"Miles, please! Go home!"

"No!" He sharply barked at Phoenix, "I'm **not** going to leave you out here by yourself like this! You're my best friend, so shut up and let me help you!"

Phoenix cringed, and Miles inwardly slapped himself in the face for being so curt.

"Uh…what I mean is that I-I-I…care about you, okay? I…" He sighed, "Look, my daddy's a great defense attorney, and he's always going out of his way to help everybody. It's what good people do. You don't have to be proud, Phoenix. People need help." Edgeworth's tone was more comforting this time, and he felt his friend relax considerably.

"Okay. Thanks, Miles." The corners of his lips turned up in a small, shy smile, and Edgeworth felt a strange blush rise onto his cheeks…

"I'm just helping you out like I'm supposed to." Miles brushed the thanks off and searched around for a wagon.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Miles nervously asked Phoenix.

"Yeah! I do it all the time, and it helps me get home super fast! Just remember to steer!" He positioned himself squarely in the bright-red wagon that they had found cast to the side. Miles uncomfortably sat in front with the wagon handle firmly in his grasp.

"So just pull left or right, then?"

"That's all there is to it! Now we'll push off together, so we can get home!"

The giant hill they were atop of seemed impossible to traverse with their weak little wagon. Miles blinked and gulped anxiously.

"Uh, I think I changed my mind!"

"Too late now!"

"Too late…? WAHHHH!" The proper young boy screamed at the top of his lungs, as they careened down the sidewalk. They had been inching forward bit by bit, and gravity was finally beginning to take its course.

"WE'RE GONNA DIE!" He yelled again, squeezing his eyes shut. The downward drop made his stomach fall to his feet, and his head felt all dizzy.

"Keep watching! You have to keep us from crashing!" Phoenix reminded him. Although Miles didn't want to, he bravely opened his eyes again. The wind blew into his face harshly, and he could feel his slightly chubby cheeks flapping. He had to squint in order to not injure his eyes; his vision decreasing the faster they went. He half-blindly swerved back and forth, avoiding cans, newspapers, and even the tiniest pebbles. They bounced along the cracked sidewalk, and Wright's laughter filled the air. Houses whizzed past, as they continued on their near 90 degree angle down towards Phoenix's home. Miles was gripping the handle of the wagon so tightly, that his knuckles were white with the intensity.

"Look out! There's an old lady!" Phoenix called out. Edgeworth squinted harder and saw a feeble woman walking along the sidewalk. Both boys began making a ruckus in order to warm the woman of their approach.

"Hey! Get out of the way! L-Look out!" He screamed loudly, but the woman seemed to be short of hearing and paid no attention.

"I-I can't move the wagon out of the way! There's no room!" Miles helplessly told Phoenix. Phoenix gave Miles a worried glance, but he became determined once again very quickly.

"**LADY! You better get out of the way if you don't want to be squished!"** The spiky-haired boy hollered even louder. The old woman still didn't seem to pay attention, but she continued her slow hobble across the sidewalk, just barely missing the boys' wagon. Miles felt the pains in his chest ease, and his lungs began to breathe again.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh…" He mumbled fearfully, clutching Phoenix's hand unconsciously.

Phoenix grinned, "Whew, that was close…"

The wagon began to slow as the altitude drop diminished with every passing second. The squeaky wheels let out sighs of exhaustion, as they finally gave up, refusing to move any further. Wright was still buzzing with adrenaline, as he hopped out of the little cart and onto his feet. Edgeworth was wobbly, as he followed his friend's lead. Phoenix turned around to face Miles, and he gave a bit of chuckle, as Miles struggled to regain balance.

"Heh, it's a bit disorienting, ain't it?"

"'Isn't it', is the proper term, Phoenix. Don't act like you're a hillbilly." Edgeworth mildly pointed out. Wright shook his head, smiling. He reached over and gave Miles a strong hug. It caught the young gentleman off for a spell, but he found himself hugging Phoenix back. Phoenix's eyes were twinkling with untold thanks, as they released the embrace.

"Thanks, Miles. You know…for what you did for me today."

Edgeworth sighed, "Stop saying 'thank you'. It was nothing."

"No, it really means something to me. I'm gonna think of that forever. This plus the time that you defended me about that stolen lunch money business makes you the best friend ever!" Phoenix hugged Miles excitedly again. Although Miles hated physical contact, he let Phoenix hug him again and again.

"Okay, that's enough!" He finally gasped for air. Phoenix had a surprisingly strong, bone-crushing hug. A silly grin spread across Wright's face.

"I won't let you forget what you did!"

"Don't worry, I believe that…" Miles rolled his eyes, with a smile on his face, nonetheless.

"You wanna come over to my house, since we're here anyways?" Phoenix offered, beginning to walk with his newfound wagon in hand.

"I don't know…"

"We'll call your dad when we get there!"

Miles paused, contemplating the offer.

"My mom bought a huge Mrs. Field's cookie the other day!"

"Chocolate chip?"

"**Double **chocolate chip." Phoenix felt his stomach rumble in the thought of his enormous cookie.

"Hm…"

"Stop pretending like you don't want a piece!"

Miles made a face, knowing that Phoenix knew him all too well, once again, "Okay, okay. Fine. My daddy's coming home from work late anyways."

"Yay! Playdate!" Phoenix broke into a run, as he leaped with all the joy his little heart to surmount to, "Whoever gets to my home first gets to choose which half of the cookie they want!"

"No fair, you got a running start!" Miles bolted after him, enjoying the setting sun's rays warming his face. It didn't really matter that Phoenix had a running start anyhow. Miles always knew he'd wait up for him any day.

* * *

_"Hey, no hard feelings about me completely annihilating today, right?" Wright gave a cocky smirk._

_"Of course not…especially since **I** get paid by the hour." Edgeworth gave an equally cocky smirk back. __Phoenix__ frowned._

_"Such is the life of an attorney." The spiky haired man whistled, as he picked up his case files. Miles grunted, flipping his hair out of his face. The defendant ran up to __Phoenix__ quickly and thanked him repeatedly._

_"Hey, it's alright. At least you're not going to jail!" __Phoenix__ joked. The young man couldn't stop thanking him though, and Miles felt a smile curl onto his face._

_"Oh gee, you got me a cookie? Wow…" __Phoenix__ gratefully accepted the cookie the young man had bought merely minutes earlier. Miles felt his right eye twitch, as he saw the familiar bagging and the lighted expression on his friend's face._

_"This is too big of a cookie though, unless **somebody **stops being a sour loser and wants to share." He threw a look over his shoulder, straight in Edgeworth's direction, and snickered, as the prosecutor tried to busy himself with his papers to hide his blushes._

_"Have some manners, Wright."_

_"Have some cookie, Edgeworth."_

**AN: A little OOC on my part perhaps? Use your imaginations, dear readers. ;)**

**Ahhh, so it wasn't exactly hardcore relationship stuff, but neither was the previous one, right? I hope you all enjoyed it anyhow, even those of you who despise this shipping. I mean, who doesn't like friendship fluff between these two crazy people? :D**

**Next up will be KlavierXEma due to reviews from KlavierGirl and TheElk and madscientists (creative usernames, you guys!)**

**I'll choose another random one from the reviews later~~**

**So don't forget to review/comment/shootmeahateflame or anything like that! 3 I adore hearing what other people say; even you insane internet folk.**

**Sorry for the long AN. :) Peace, love, and tacos! 3**

**- TM**


	3. Hiding

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN/HAVE CREATED THESE CHARACTERS. (C) CAPCOM. SLURPEES (C) 7/11**

**(Sorry I forgot on the last one, you guys. Psh, it's almost like I OWN these characters right now. :D)**

_**KlavierXEma**_

_**.:Hiding:.**_

_I hate foreigners. _

_I think I'm going to establish that as a fact. They always clog up the highways when I'm trying to get to work, they're always speaking their languages that I don't understand, they're always playing their guitar way too loud for me to work, they're always calling me "Fräulein", and they're way too annoying for their own good._

_Oh, screw it._

_I think I'm blushing again._

_I wish I could ride on that slick motorcycle, I wish I could speak a cool language, I wish he would write a sonnet for me, I wish he would call me "Fräulein" every day, and I wish he would keep annoying me for the rest of my life._

_There._

_Hmph, I don't feel any better at all._

_And I think my blush has gotten worse._

_He's not here right now, so it's not so big of a deal that I'm thinking about him while he's gone…right? Ugh, I think I'm obsessed._

_But who can resist those amazingly blue eyes, his flawless skin, his blinding smile, his wonderfully accented voice, his…_

_Clear playboy-ish attitude…_

_Why do I even bother?_

Ema spun herself around in her wheelie chair repetitively, hoping that maybe she could reverse the world's spin by going fast enough in the opposite direction or something.

Yes, she was that bored. Or maybe it was because she didn't have Snackoos with her that day. Or maybe it was because nobody wanted her help at the moment.

Or maybe it was because Klavier wasn't around.

"Ugh…not again." The forensic scientist groaned, stretching her arms out, as she continued to spin around and around. Klavier was supposed to be at a concert today. He was going to sing in front of a whole crowd of people in his home country, Germany, and he had left for the airport earlier that morning. He had offered to bring her, but she had refused.

_Why was she so afraid of looking desperate?_

None of the other screaming fan girls on the streets, at his concerts, or around the world cared about looking desperate. It wasn't like she was better than any of them anyways.

_Who was she trying to impress?_

Klavier had recently announced his acquisition of a new girlfriend the past week, too. He said that he was absolutely in love with this girl that he met somewhere on his tour last year, and after months of keeping in contact, he had supposedly worked up the courage to ask her to be his girlfriend.

_Psh, as if someone could refuse._

Ema felt a pain in her chest, as she stopped spinning and started thinking about this new mystery girl. She was a little downtrodden that Klavier could find something so special in some high-class girl he met on his tour. He would just make fun of her own Snackoo addiction and put her down as his trusty forensic scientist.

_Why couldn't he love her instead?_

She shooed the annoying questions out of her head and tried to focus on what little work she had. The only thing she had flashing on her computer was a fairly simple death of an old man and a kidnapping of a young boy.

_Dull._

She seriously needed someone to talk to, or at least some Snackoos to eat while she wallowed in her self-pity. Ema sighed, shaking her head. She was probably going to be a hopeless, giant woman with several eating disorders in a few years…

Ema pulled herself onto her feet lazily and walked out of the laboratory to go down the street to the closest 7/11. It was about midday, and there were cars zooming along the freeway. Despite the fact that she hated any sort of obnoxious noise, Ema sort of found comfort in the speeding cars; it reminded her of the reckless German prosecutor once again…

She spotted Detective Gumshoe sipping a Slurpee outside of the convenience store, and she waved to him.

He stopped drinking his Slurpee and called out to Ema, "Hey, pal! Do you know where Klavier is?"

Ema raised an eyebrow and feigned disinterest and a solid pout, "Isn't he on is hoity-toity tour or something? I'm not his manager, I'm just his co-worker." She waved the question off and took a seat next to the detective.

"Oh…then we have a missing person alert to file." He lazily replied.

"What?"

"Klavier didn't get on his plane to Germany. The airplane was waiting for several hours, but the guy never showed up, so they called the precinct about it, worrying the worst."

Ema felt beads of sweat form onto her forehead, as she thought about where in the world Klavier could be. Her temperature was dropping, and her heart fell into the pit of her uncomfortable stomach.

"Are you sure he's not still at his mansion or office or something?"

"Yup. We checked all the places he'd be. Even all the bars in town. Can't find a clue of where he is." Gumshoe continued to slurp his Slurpee, and this began to irritate the young woman more than the news scared her.

"Oh yeah, well have you guys given up searching then?"

"Nope, search is still on!"

"Then why in the world are you here drinking a Slurpee?" Ema yelled at Gumshoe in the voice that she would use to scold Klavier with and pointed a discouraging finger into his face.

The large detective jumped at Ema's sudden outburst, "I-I just came here for something to drink! I was thirsty!" He complained.

Ema tapped her foot impatiently, her face growing redder by the second. She was channeling all of her deep concern and worry into anger and rage and then focusing it onto the poor detective.

"I should dock your pay for this, Detective Gumshoe!" She screeched even louder.

"But you don't even control my paycheck!" The detective whined in response.

"Shut up! I'll find a way! You think it's okay to just lazy around while someone's missing? Someone important at that? Do you have no common sense? I think you should…!"

In sheer fear and uncertainty, Gumshoe fled from the 7/11, Slurpee in hand, cutting Ema's rant short. The scientist's breathing began to slow and return to normal, and she rolled up the sleeves of her lab coat satisfactorily, although she felt even worse than before. The short, tubby man that was manning the counter of the 7/11 had seen the whole encounter and gaped widely at Ema, as she made her way into the store. She shot him a fearsome look with her analytical, brown eyes, and he immediately began to fiddle with the candies and gum on the front displays instead. Ema sighed despondently and began to peruse the aisles for her favorite snack.

"C-can I help you, miss?" The storekeeper shakily asked Ema suddenly. Ema jumped slightly at the sudden presence of the small man, but she quickly regained stability.

"Oh, I'm just looking for Snackoos. They should be in this aisle, right?"

"I-I-I am sorry, miss, but all the Snackoos have been bought." The man stared down at the floor, even more afraid of what Ema would say.

"Really? Who bought them all?" Ema replied, shocked that someone might have loved Snackoos more than she did.

"A man. I couldn't really tell who it was, but this young man said that he needed them for his girlfriend."

"Ah, typical. Snackoos **are **the snack of the winners and lovers, you know." The long, brown haired woman joked, trying to ease the man up, but he ran off into another aisle rather quickly. Ema let out a huge breath of air and put her pink glasses over her eyes.

She liked to do that when she was depressed. It made it seem like everything was all pink and fluffy and good instead…

Ema walked out of the store, her head hanging down, without Snackoos or any reason to stay around any longer. She wistfully thought of the young man who had bought the rest of the Snackoos for his girlfriend. She wished that Klav…

_Ergh, what's with all this wishing?_

The scientist ran across the busy freeway pretty dangerously, ignoring the honking and screeching of cars. Was it bad that she was actually okay with possibly being hit by a car?

Probably.

Her lungs ached, and she gasped for breath, as she ran into her office, slammed the door, and crumpled into her chair. The pain in her heart was so great, yet so familiar. Another day when Klavier wasn't around. Another day when Klavier didn't notice her. Another day that had subtle suicidal tones laced to it.

Another normal day.

The only thing that made it horribly atypical was that she didn't know where Klavier was anymore. He was as good as gone to her. Sure, he left on wild, fantastic voyages on whim, but usually someone would be able to contact him or reassure her that her secret beloved was still around.

He was gone to her. He always had been.

Ema tried to relieve her pent-up tension and emotions by throwing things across the room. She threw a pen. And then a file of papers. And then the telephone. And then the computer. And then she began to take off her shoes and throw them at a distant wall, leaving footprint marks on the spotless surface. She liked the way the marks were left on the wall, so she kept throwing her shoes at it; harder and harder. An uneasy smile crept up onto her face, and she laughed through her tears.

Her insane, crazy tears.

Her obsessive, compassionate tears.

Her worthless, meaningless tears.

The normally reasonable young woman found comfort in a skewed corner, and she sat there, with her knees to her chest, trembling with the release and repercussions of her emotions.

"Come on, Ema, what the heck are you doing? Of course Klavier's okay, why do you always freak out when things get a little off? Why do you always freak out when things aren't the norm? Why do you freak out about this insolent, ignorant, selfish German guy?" She whispered the questions to herself, trying to remediate her troubled mind.

"Why are you in love with this guy? Why are you obsessed with this guy? Looks aren't everything, Ema! So what if he's super adorable when he's not around the media? So what if he actually remembered to give you a holiday card the other day? So what if he likes to poke your head and eat your Snackoos? It doesn't mean he cares about you! It doesn't mean he loves you! It doesn't mean a thing!" She wailed in a lonesome tone to herself; her voice sounding like a broken record that played the same wretched song over and over again. She felt herself losing her cool all over again, newfound tears cackling, as they caused her even more self-embarrassment and pain.

There was a sudden fumble from somewhere on the opposite side of her office that made Ema freeze in place. She slowly turned her body around to see what was going on, and she had to bite down on her lip to keep from yelping when the fumbling noise was heard again. She crawled on her hands and knees carefully to the empty cabinet that she had put in the opposite corner of her room. Cautiously, she paused, pulling her arm back for a punch, in case one was necessary.

"Come out with your hands up! I swear! Any weapons; drop them! I have a gun!" Ema threatened, her voice shaking nonetheless.

"No you don't, _Fräulein_…" Came a cough and a grunt, as a young man tumbled out of the squished cabinet with bags of Snackoos falling out with him. Ema gasped, and she fell backwards, as her office floor became littered with them. Her hands flew to her mouth, as she scooted backwards even more.

"Wh-what the hell were you doing in there?" She snapped.

"Hiding." He tried to smile, but his face seemed hurt, as he stood up and brushed himself off.

"Well! Way to use my office…as…a…" Ema slowed her angered yelling, as Klavier turned away from her and didn't respond.

"Why…were you hiding?" The cautious woman asked Klavier. He glanced back at her and sighed.

"I am hiding from the people, _Fräulein_."

"But I thought you were on your plane to your concert!" She desperately reminded him.

"So did I."

"And so did everybody else! They're all looking for you!" Ema tried to excite Klavier with the news of attention, but he sat down on the floor and put a bag of Snackoos in his lap instead.

"I know. I did not want them to find me." He muttered, opening the bag.

"Why? What happened? You look terrible." Ema crawled over to the prosecutor, slightly concerned at his despondent attitude.

"I do not know if I want to talk about it anymore. You seemed really _umsturz_. At me." He replied quietly with a bit of a smirk. Ema turned bright red, remembering her crazy outburst only minutes earlier.

"Oh…you heard that?"

"Every word."

Ema was silent. She grasped for words in her head. She didn't hate Klavier at all, and seeing him like this made her realize that fact all too much.

"I…didn't mean it." She murmured.

"_Ja_, you did."

"I didn't I promise! I was…just upset at something else."

"_Umsturz_. That is what that word means; upset. You were very _umsturz_ at me." He repeated.

"Oh, I see…" Ema paused, "Look, maybe if you talk about it, you'll feel better."

"_Nein_."

"Why not?"

"_Weil Sie verstehen nicht. Sie werden nur böser werden_." Klavier muttered in German, eating a Snackoo silently.

"I…didn't understand a word of that…" Ema replied helplessly. Klavier was using his language to his advantage, she thought bitterly. If only she wasn't such an ignorant person; maybe she should've learned German earlier…

"_Das Mädchen, das ich erzählt habe, dass den Medien um ist eine Lüge. Ich habe keine Freundin. Jedes, das einer einen erwartete, und ich kann ihnen nicht gegenüberstehen. Ich bin hoffnungslos. Niemand wollte meine Freundin sein." _A wistful look appeared on his normally charismatic face, and he leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact with Ema.

"I…see…" Ema confusedly tried to console him. She moved closer and patted him on the arm, "We…uh, all have problems like that."

"You do not understand German. I'm sorry. I forgot. Speaking in German is easier for me. Especially when talking about difficult topics." Klavier confessed. A look of epiphany washed over Ema's face, as she recalled all of those times that Klavier had, supposedly, annoyed her with his German.

She hadn't even given the sudden language change a second thought…

"It's alright." She replied softly.

"I will repeat what I said in English…" Klavier swallowed hard, and he seemed a little nervous. Ema sat back on her heels, listening attentively.

"The girl I told the media about is a lie. I do not have a girlfriend. Every one was expecting one, and I cannot face them. I'm hopeless. No one would want to be my girlfriend." His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked as though he was in even greater pain than earlier.

Ema's jaw dropped, and she felt a sense of remorse and sympathy for him, instantaneously, "Oh my gosh…"

"_Ja_, surprising, no? Now you are going to tell every one about my failure, correct?" He responded unhappily, eating another Snackoo.

"No, no, no! I'm sorry for your situation! I feel bad for you! I won't tell anyone, I swear! It's a horrible mess, you're in! I want to help! I-I-I…" Ema burst with a surplus of care, and she couldn't stop speaking, until Klavier pushed a Snackoo into her mouth. She made a noise of surprise but ate the Snackoo anyways, letting Klavier speak again.

"You are always very kind. I appreciate that. But this is a mistake that should not be forgiven." He handed the bag of Snackoos over to Ema, sensing her underlying desire for the treats.

"Of all the stupid lies I have told, this is probably the worst." He bitterly scoffed at himself.

"I'm sure you can find a 'quick' girlfriend, if you know what I mean." Ema offered, eating a Snackoo thoughtfully.

Klavier made a face, "Do you mean like a prostitute?"

"Not exactly!" Ema stuttered, blushing at the embarrassing situation, "I mean, you could always pay someone to look like your girlfriend for a few days, and then 'break up' with her, y'know?"

_Why couldn't she just offer herself to the man that she would willfully love and follow?_

"Mm, that's a bad idea."

"Thanks."

"No, I'm just saying that it's too obvious."

"Fine, whatever. Do what floats your boat." Ema shrugged it off.

"You're very intelligent, Ema, but you really do lack in observational skills. Maybe that's why you're not the amazing forensic scientist you want to be."

"Hey!" Ema growled, "Since when'd this conversation turn sour?"

Klavier grinned and flipped his hair, "I'm not trying to be rude. I'm trying to point something out that you've seemed to overlook. Something that's not quite fitting right now."

The young woman picked up another Snackoo and ate it thoughtfully, while Klavier rolled his eyes.

"I can't think of anything."

"Take a guess."

"Well, I can't guess if I can't think of anything."

"I'll give you a hint. You're eating them right now." Klavier bluntly pointed out.

"That wasn't a hint. That was basically giving me the answer."

"I'm not here to play twenty questions. Now, answer me this, why do you think I have all these Snackoos? Hm? And where are all the ones in that dingy 7/11 across the freeway?"

A look of realization dawned on Ema's face, "Oh my gosh…you're that guy that bought all the Snackoos!"

"Thank you."

"But why? I was starving!" Ema pouted, hitting Klavier in the head with a Snackoo. He grimaced as it made an all too familiar "ka-tonk" sound.

"Because they are for you, _Fräulein._"

Ema paused in silent thought. For her? What trick was he trying to pull?

"Why'd you get them for me…?" She questioned cautiously.

"Please, I have no ulterior motive. I bought them, so that we could talk properly like two human beings. I knew you'd probably be mad and/or have figured out what had happened, so I needed a little sedative."

"Hmph. I'm not an animal, y'know."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"Are you trying to make me fat?"

"No."

Ema felt her face getting warmer by the second, and she knew she was probably coloring furiously.

"Ema, I bought them because I realize that in situations like these, I cannot hide myself anymore. Those trips that I've taken for days on random notices…I can't keep doing that to get away from the world when it gets too difficult for me. I cannot keep speaking German when I feel distressed. I need someone I can rely on, and someone who can be my best friend during these times. I need you." His eyes burned into her brown ones, and she felt like the whole weight of the world had fallen on top of her at that precise moment.

"M-me? …and you just called me by my first name…" Ema fumbled for words, as she dropped her bag of Snackoos in front of her.

"Ema, you are a very sweet girl. A caring, mature, understanding girl. I know that you may hate me, but I want to be a good friend with you." He leaned in closer, "And maybe something else."

He pecked her on the cheek lightly, and Ema felt her heart explode inside of her. She was in pieces…but she was in happy pieces. Pieces that she just wanted to match up with other pieces from Klavier. She did want to be a part of him. So very, very much. She wanted to be a significant part in his life.

"I cannot trust any other random girl. They're not like you. I've seen the rest of them." Klavier breathed; his face still extremely close to hers.

"I…I need you, too." She confessed, "I can't be in this world the way I am. I either have too much self-confidence or very low self-esteem… I-I'm a wreck." She laughed weakly.

"And to tell you the truth…I always think about you. I always wonder if you notice me… I always wonder if you really were asking me out to that restaurant the other day… I always wonder…" Ema swallowed hard. Now seemed about the right time to confess everything, she supposed.

"Really?" Klavier seemed genuinely surprised, "I always thought you despised me."

"Heh, I hide it well, don't I? That's how it's always been."

"Well, I don't want you to hide your feelings anymore." Klavier took her face into his hands, "I want you to be exactly who you want to be. I want you to empower yourself, as I will try to do myself. We will be each other's support." He confirmed.

Ema bit her lower lip, as she leaned in and kissed the young German lightly. She let her lips rest there for a few seconds, before pulling back, feeling a sort of static shock of curiosity and the unknown that was paved in front of the two of them.

"Y'know, this could probably end up really badly."

"But I'm always reckless."

"You could get into even bigger trouble."

"I like trouble."

"That 7/11 guy's probably thinking we're crazy."

"But we are."

"I think we're crazy in a good way though, right?"

"Crazy in _liebe_."

"I know what that word means."

"Really."

"Yeah. _Ich liebe dich_."

"Horrible pronunciation."

"I hate you."

"_Ich liebe dich_."

**AN: I haven't incorporated some of the translations for some of the German in the story because I want you readers to feel like Ema. I want there to be that feeling of a wall, a barrier between the two of them through their separate languages, however Ema does understand "liebe" which means "love"**

**Credits to Google Translate, you guys. They're amazing. :D**

**This one is sort of longish. :P Sorry! I just kept writing, and I didn't want to make the confessionals seem too abrupt (although I think I still basically failed) and on Word it's about 6 1/2 pages, and that's a little too long for a oneshot.**

**Thanks to KlavierGirl, TheElk, and madscientists again for their proposal for a KlavierXEma oneshot! 3 I love you guys!**

**I'll choose another random one from the comments, so leave a comment on which one you'd like! :) Don't forget to review my stories a little, too! I'd like feedback! Even senseless flames like, "OMGEZ, Y'D U RITE ABOUT DIS. IT'S LIEK SO NOT TEH BEST PAIRING EVAR." make me laugh, and I enjoy them just as equally as the amazingly nice ones that I get from a lot of you!**

**Have a great holiday vacation, you guys! Spend time with your familes, appreciate the ones around you, and PLAY IN THE SNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY (we're supposedly getting some snow in NY this weekend, I believe)**

**OKAY. ENOUGH RANTING. BYE 3**


	4. Freedom

**I DO NOT OWN/HAVE CREATED THE CHARACTERS LISTED BELOW. (C) CAPCOM.**

_**ApolloXVera**_

_**.:Freedom:.**_

_Apollo wasn't much of an artist. Well, he wasn't much of anything when it came to the creative, right half of his brain. Even in kindergarten when they gave him simple projects to complete like those hand-traced turkeys or macaroni art, he was that one, annoying kid that kept having trouble with the glue. Or having trouble with the safety scissors. Or having trouble with the paints. _

_Even as an older adult, he would have serious trouble depicting a crime scene on a piece of paper or sketching out what a victim or perpetrator looked like._

_Call it whatever you want, but Apollo thinks it's sad._

_Really, really sad._

_He didn't think much of it when shy Vera asked him if he wanted to take art lessons from her. She was, after all, a brilliant artist and a truly kind girl. Very sweet, very quiet. Apollo had agreed almost instantly, and she had blushed just as quickly. _

_She was an odd girl. _

_She had had no one to look after her after Apollo successfully proved Kristoph guilty of murdering her father and numerous others. Apollo offered his home, but it merely initiated a slew of colored cheeks and aside glances from Vera, so instead, he suggested Wright's household. Although he didn't really ask him beforehand, he figured that Wright would be kind enough to take her into his own home._

_He was a nice enough guy. Sort of._

_He had been going to Wright's place to check up on Vera often, and today was another one of their, __**probably**__ unfruitful, art lessons…_

Apollo had decided to leave his winter coat at home today. It was relatively warm out, and the snow was almost clean off the streets. The air still retained its briskness from the not-so-distant wintry past, and he felt his hair-gel stiffen from it.

A large, lumpy portfolio rested in his arms, and it nearly covered his whole face, as he carried it awkwardly down the street. Vera had given him a few techniques to work on. Simple object line-art, a bit of 3-D reality sketching… He didn't find much point in using such a big folder for the two pieces of 8 by 11 sheets of paper, but he abided by his art teachers passive, but urging requests.

A sudden, chilly breeze swept through the thin fabrics of his long-sleeved sweater, and he shivered intensely, quickening his pace.

_Yeah, I probably should've worn a coat…_

By the time he reached Wright's residence, his fingers and gelled hair were nearly frozen solid. Trucy gasped at the poor defense attorney's shivering figure, and she ushered him in quickly, treating him almost childishly,

"Gee, Apollo… Didn't you look at the weather forecast today? Your muscles look like their frozen in place!" She ran up the stairs to go fetch Vera, and Apollo was glad that she didn't demand a response, as she normally would.

He wouldn't have been able to respond. His facial muscles literally felt like they were frozen in place.

Vera's light footsteps tapped down the stairs, and she stood in the stairwell, analyzing Apollo gloomy disposition in a matter of seconds, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I was just too stupid to bring a coat with me."

A small smile appeared on Vera's lips, and she sat down at the kitchen counter, next to him, "Are you sure you want to continue with our lesson then?"

"Well, sure. I mean, there's not much else I can do here." Apollo grinned sheepishly. The young woman blushed at the obvious answer that she had hoped to avoid.

"Let's prepare for the lesson, then." She replied quietly, rolling up her sleeves, and whipping out her drawing pad and a worn-down pencil.

Apollo fished out his weekly sketches and spread them out onto the table for her, awkwardly shuffling to the side in embarrassment of his work. Why couldn't he have spent maybe five more minutes on the lighting of the fruit bowl? He internally slapped himself on his giant forehead, shaking his head in pre-conceived disappointment.

Vera was thoughtful in her assessment of his week's work, perusing through the bland papers slowly and carefully. He watched her intently, groaning inwardly at every slight movement of possible dissatisfaction or disapproval. Her observant eyes caught a glimpse of his unsubtle frowns, and she gave him a half-smile.

"What's wrong, Apollo? They're very good." She patted them reassuringly, but the attorney didn't buy the compliment for a second.

He sighed, "You know they're terrible. I just can't get used to drawing anything. My hand freezes up on me, and I end up drawing blocky thingamabobs. Whatever these stupid things are." He waved a hand over his spread out drawings.

"It takes practice." The young woman replied simply, crossing her arms in front of her chest pensively.

"I'm a lost cause…" Apollo moaned, "I'll just save you the trouble of dealing with me and never ask for another art lesson again."

Vera frowned slightly, "What a thing to say, Mr. Justice! Are you giving up?"

Despite her quiet, passive tone of voice, Apollo felt the strong question knock the defeat right out of his system, dazing him for a few seconds. Her deep blue eyes flashed, waiting for his response.

His eyebrows knit together, "I'm not giving up! It's the truth!"

"Who are you to say what the truth is or isn't?"

"Well, it's my work isn't it? I know my good from my bad!"

"Art is meant to be interpreted in different ways. I find your art extremely enlightening as to what you feel internally towards any type of artistic expression. You're very reluctant to free yourself from the binds of reality. Art is a form of freedom. A form of complacency…" She clasped her hands together, smiling with a distant expression on her porcelain face.

"Oh, but there's still a good and a bad in art." Apollo firmly argued, refusing to take Vera's word for art.

"Are you questioning my credibility as an artist?" Vera's question flipped the tables on the argument. Apollo had never really argued with the soft-spoken woman, but he was beginning to regret the decision all at once.

He began to stutter, dropping his eyes to the scattered papers, "N-no, of course not! You're the-the teacher, after all. I'm just saying…"

"I know what you're saying Apollo, but doubting yourself is the very first flaw you've made in your art. And I can see it." She quietly told him, touching his shoulder lightly. He glanced over at her, and she instantly pulled her hand away, reddening a bit.

"You seem to doubt yourself…" Apollo wasn't able to finish his sentence, for Wright had ambled down the staircase, rather loudly, interrupting the two. A loud yawn echoed throughout the small apartment, and the young attorney made a face, as Phoenix walked through their room.

"Oh, hey kiddos. Sorry if I'm bothering you guys right now."

"Nah, it's fine."

"Is that a hint of sarcasm, Justice?" Wright asked, surprised at Apollo sudden, definite scowl.

"No…"

"Hm…" Wright shrugged it off, and whistled as he made his way to the kitchen for something to eat. Apollo rolled his eyes, and Vera silently giggled.

"I heard a bunch of yelling down here, too. What're you guys arguing about?" Phoenix called from the kitchen, rummaging around a nearby cupboard. Apollo glanced at Vera who seemed to stiffen up at the question, her voice clearly caught in her throat. The young attorney had nothing to say either. He scratched the top of head, smiling kind of sheepishly.

Phoenix threw a lazy look over his shoulder, "Hey, now why'd you both shut up so quickly? Excuse me if I was interrupting during a very intimate moment…"

"No, it's not like that!"

"He just came by for an art lesson!"

"Geez, we're not horny teenagers or anything!"

"We were arguing about something practical!"

"Yeah, super practical!"

They both sputtered out random phrases, some taken into minor offense by the other, but nonetheless, they bombarded the older man with transparent cover-ups.

Wright's eyes widened slightly at the noise, and he groaned, "Well! I'm sorry! Don't need to get all defensive on me! I won't push it." He pulled his beanie hat over his eyes and slid out of the room quickly, grumbling something about how unappreciative the two were.

Apollo and Vera glanced at each other quickly, both reddening fiercely.

Apollo chuckled uneasily, "Ah…so should we continue with the lesson?"

"Yes, of course!" Vera immediately responded, taking her hair up into a ponytail, brushing her bangs in front of her face to keep her gaze from looking directly into the attorney's eyes. She ripped out a large piece of blank paper from her notepad, and handed it to Apollo. He slid it in front of his seat, scratching the back of his neck a little uncomfortably. He was never really comfortable with drawing in front of somebody. He was too embarrassed to have someone see all the errors he made and all the stupid erasing he had to do.

Vera tapped his hand lightly, "What do you want to draw, Apollo?"

"Er, it doesn't really matter…"

"Please choose. You will provide the object, and we will both draw representations of what we believe the object is or looks like."

The young man felt his hair "horns" drop considerably in worry, "I…don't know about this exercise…" He murmured unhappily.

"It will help open up your drawing hand and your imaginative mind."

"No, I think it's just going to put a damper on my spirits and make me feel like a total dumba-" Apollo caught himself, "…uh, dumbhead."

A perfect smile flittered across Vera's lips, "Don't be so nervous. I am your teacher. I am only here to help you." She reassured him, handing him a pencil.

Apollo inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to prepare for his drawing, "O-okay. We can draw a bird."

"Do you like birds?"

"Er-no, I hate them, actually." He smiled sheepishly, "But I'll try to challenge myself to draw something I absolutely detest."

Vera broke into a genuine smile, "Wonderful! Now you're getting into the mindset!"

Both "artists" began to sketch out their own interpretations of the winged creatures. Apollo would try to steal a glance or a peek at what Vera was drawing, but she was very secretive, unwilling to give him any sort of premonitions that would impair his free thinking. She scolded him lightly and continued her own work, scrunched in a corner of the room.

Apollo's tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth, in concentration, and although he knew absolutely no one was watching him, he felt the heat of judgment. His drawing took up only about five minutes, and he found himself nervously waiting for Vera to finish. She was furiously scrubbing her eraser across the paper, flicking bits and piece of the remainders off. Apollo stared in awe at her intense abilities, and he found himself drawn to her non-wavering gaze.

Despite her eyes being focused on the paper, the bright attorney was able to see the beauty in them. They were soft, but not dulled completely; they had a bit of an edge to them, almost unnoticeable, if looked at too quickly. It was an edge of motherliness, loyalty, cautiousness… Her irises being the most stunning portion of her clear-water eyes. A hint of regality, suggesting a royal blue color, but there was something deeper inside them.

Something that others never dared to touch upon.

Vera glanced up suddenly at Apollo, looking straight into his own sharp, brown eyes. He blushed instantly, apologizing for his hard stare. Vera turned an even brighter pink, and her bangs fell in front of her eyes again, as she awkwardly took a seat next to Apollo.

"Well, do you feel confident in your work?"

"Sort of, I guess."

"Okay, we'll reveal them on the count of three."

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three!"

The papers flipped over, and both of them were eagerly engrossed in the other person's drawing.

Apollo's had a rough edge to it. He tended to press down on the paper firmly with his pencil, and it was a little blocky…again... The sketch was still identifiable as a bird, but the beak was too pointy, the breast was too fat, the legs were too unrealistic, the eyes dull and vacant… Good grief, why did he only take five minutes on it? He was regretting the time spent drawing…again…

Vera's was just so perfect.

The feathers on the bird were delicately and intricately designed, every single feather having a slightly different look, giving the bird a realistic feel. Its eyes were a charming dark color with a glint to them, signifying the curiosity of the creature. It was leaning forward slightly, head cocked, legs bent, paying close attention to the beauty around it. Lightly shaded, but a definite sketch.

Probably to make him feel less intimidated, right?

Apollo glanced away, resting his cheek on his balled up fist. Vera's eyes slid to the side, watching his clear disappointment. She carefully pulled his hand away from his face, causing him to turn and for their eyes to lock in place.

"Why do you look so upset?"

"Because…well, just look at the obvious artistic difference!" He sighed exasperatedly.

Vera's eyebrows jumped, surprised, "What do you mean?"

"Look at how much feeling and emotion yours has! Every little detail perfectly executed. Perfectly!"

"No, I don't think so…" Her eyebrows knit together, "It's so very bland."

"Wh-what? But it looks just like a bird!"

"Realism is fake art. I can draw what's around me, but everybody can see a bird like that. Why recreate something that's already there? Realism is never perfect, and it's a futile attempt at something artistic." Her eyes were fiery, but her voice soft. She took her paper and crumpled it up, while Apollo watched in utter silence. Her shoulders shook, as she dumped it in the wastebasket. Her eyes were glassy, filled to the brim with hot tears that she refused to let fall.

Apollo touched her shoulder, "But recreating things is a unique talent. You have amazing talent."

"If only I could be as free as you when I draw. You have no bounds. You draw what you truly feel. This bird embodies your hatred for them; I can see the annoyance of it, yet the delicateness, as well." Vera stared longingly at the paper, and Apollo was shocked and thankful all at the same time.

She was being completely honest.

"We all want to be or want to have something that we don't. It's human nature." Apollo cracked a smile, "I guess you and I…we both aren't very thankful for our own gifts. You, your artistic ability, me…my freedom…?" He was a little unsure about his gift, but it was something along those lines.

"Yes, your ability to think out of the box. Your creativity. I envy it." She admitted, coloring a little.

"Ha, I bet my 'creativity' could rub off on you, if you rubbed by giant forehead." He grinned foolishly, running his fingers through his hair.

Vera smiled quietly, and she stood up, so she was at Apollo's level. She stood up on her tippy-toes and lightly pressed her lips to the attorney's forehead. Her lips were cool, but her cheeks were warm, as were his. She pulled away quickly, feeling almost shameful for her act. She chewed her lower lip, refusing to look up at Apollo, in fear that their eyes would meet.

The young attorney gently touched her under her chin, slowly bringing her gaze up to his waiting eyes. Her eyes were exploding with color, fear, excitement, nervousness… He kept looking deeper and deeper into her eyes, feeling a therapeutic wash over himself, Vera feeling the same way. Apollo felt a magnetic, tingling attraction to her, and he leaned closer and closer until the small gap between their lips closed up.

It was a stationary kiss, no movement whatsoever, but their hearts were racing, their minds were swimming, and their eyes finally closed. They didn't need to analyze anything at that moment. They innately understood their deep-set emotions. They mutually felt a bond that neither had ventured to construct. A ship setting sail for unfound horizons.

A relationship.

**AN: Hey guys, I haven't updated in a while. :P Sorry about that! This little ApolloXVera oneshot is dedicated to a lovely reviewer by the name of "amethyst-tomboychan". You gave an absolutely wonderful review on the last chapter! It was more than just a request, you provided a little insight as to what you enjoyed and such. :) I love hearing what you all think about the chapter's structure/plot, even if you don't like the shipping.**

**I'm still accepting random shippings though! Some of you provided really funny ones that, I admit, I was unsure and nervous about, haha. :) Keep them coming though! I'll review this chapter's comments and choose another shipping to attempt! :D**

**Thanks so much for reading! Hope you're all doing well! (Pray for those in Japan and the Middle East)**


	5. World Behind My Wall

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN/HAVE CREATED ANY OF THE CHARACTERS LISTED BELOW. (C) CAPCOM**

_**EdgeworthXFranziska**_

_**.:World Behind My Wall:.**_

_He is so shameful!_

_Good god, I would whip him a thousand times if I had to! He is just completely ignorant, completely self-absorbed, completely haughty, and completely rude!_

_You would think that we would be at least mutual friends over the years…_

_But no! It is all his stupid, stupid fault! I don't know many curse words in English, but I think I will have to learn at least fifty of them, so I can express my anger in more ways that just my physical strength!_

_A von Karma does not allow anything under perfection._

_SO WHY DOES HE GET TO TROUNCE ALONG LIKE AN IDIOTIC PONY EVERY TIME HE GETS THE CHANCE TO SEE ME?_

_Ah, I am getting a migraine._

_I am needing to sit down._

…

_Shit._

_That is all I know._

* * *

The fiery, young woman snapped her blinds open and greeted the day with a pout. Her anger-management teacher had suggested that she keep a privatediary to scribble down her violent thoughts and to relieve the stress of the anger…

However it wasn't working very well.

Franziska was naturally an irritable person. She had always been that way, ever since she was conceived, probably. When she was five years old, she threw a massive temper tantrum because the bows that her mother had bought her were not the proper shade of pink to match her poofy dress.

Her mother was gone that day.

Forget that un-perfectionist, she had told herself. A weakling, a fraud, a worthless woman. Her father supported her opinion of her mother, and very soon after her mother was forgotten. A picture thrown out the window to shatter.

When she was eleven years old, she got into a fight with a certain frilly, pink adorned child. Sure, he was older than her, but so what? He had stepped on her shoe by accident, and she was unwilling to let such an injustice go on unnoticed by the mass public. Her father had been incredibly angry with her behavior, and his apologies led to the bond between the Edgeworths and the von Karmas.

Hmph, she didn't like to be associated with Miles.

Franziska tended to brush a lot of annoyance off anyways though, and she often decided towards keeping a high maintenance, steel, ten-inch thick wall between the world and her internal emotions. It was so much easier to manipulate people that way, and it kept her safe from any personal damage that could be dealt.

Her anger-management teacher had proposed that something in the past had made her this angry and secretive.

She laughed and said no.

Who cared what was bothering her anyways? Finding out what the source was wasn't going to change a thing about her personality. Franziska insisted on staying "true to herself", and she insisted on resisting any sort of emotional or personal changes, despite how desperately the teacher would plead. She wasn't going to cooperate with some unknown person, sniffing around her own experiences.

Franziska hadn't even gone to her by her own will. It had been that hot-aired, flippant, insignificant prosecutor; Miles Edgeworth. For heavens sake, he treated her like she was mentally insane! He was always looking "concerned" and asking her about how she was feeling and things like that.

_Hmph, 'Are you okay, Franziska?', 'How's the teacher treating you, Franziska?', 'Are you happy, Franziska?'…_

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND STOP BOTHERING ME." She screeched out into the quiet open air, as she flung open her shutters, releasing her anger in "a positive way", as her teacher had suggested. A cat meowed unhappily, and a few wanderers glanced around, wondering where the noise had come from, whispering to one another.

And people wondered why they had such distraught relations…

Franziska slammed the windowpanes shut and grumbled, as she made her way down the stairs. She was occupying herself with unimportant things anyways. She had a big case, today, and she wasn't about to let some attorney spoil the rest of her day. Her morning had already gotten off to an unfortunate start, anyhow. It was relieving to know that she wasn't arguing against that Phoenix Wright, though. She had heard that he had lost his attorney's badge somehow, and she was more than a little interested in what had gone down. Miles had muttered a few things about it, but she could see that he was uneasy about talking about his friend's recent screw-up.

"Hmph, too sympathetic, that one." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, grabbed her suitcase, and headed out the door for the courtroom.

* * *

It was only the first recess that the judge had passed, however Franziska was fully confident in her case, in all smiles, as she walked towards the prosecutors' room. She took a seat in her favorite leather couch and leaned back, sighing with satisfaction.

Detective Gumshoe ran up to the young prosecutor's side, wringing his hands, "Er, you seem pretty happy, Ms. Franziska. Did the trial go well?"

"You are speaking in past tense, Detective. The trial is, rather, going well." She still had a smile on her face, despite the minor mistake that normally would've made her agitated.

"Oh, sorry… That's good, Ms. Franziska! Congrats!" He grinned sheepishly.

"Well, did you expect anything less from a von Karma?"

"Er, no! Never ever!" Gumshoe straightened noticeably.

"Good! Now, go get me something to eat. I am feeling a little hungry for maybe a salty, crunchy thing."

"You mean like potato chips?"

"Yes, whatever you call them." She waved the detective off and settled back, craning her neck a bit to see if _he _was here today. She would always see him here in the prosecutor's room when she had a case. He seemed to always find out her schedule and give her support, although it was unneeded.

She didn't know why she wanted to see him today after completely cursing him out this morning, but something in the pit of her stomach signaled that there was a disturbance within… It worried her. She tried to blow the feelings away; she was winning her case anyways, by a landside, in fact! What need could there be for something more? Sure, she had released the old strive for a perfect record, but it was relieving to know that she had talent enough to win cases against grungy, old attorneys. She was perfect by herself. She was perfect alone.

There was still a sudden need for his presence…

Gumshoe came back within seconds, knowing better than to keep Franziska waiting too long, "Here are your chips!" He panted.

"Thank you." She replied, with her smile gone, and a more concerned, faraway expression in her eyes.

"Uh…" Gumshoe bit his lip, "I-is something wrong, Ms. Franziska?"

The young German woman twitched, having her train of thought interrupted, "No." She firmly snapped.

The detective jumped and apologized numerous times. It was a mere whine and prattle of senseless noise to her, though, and she found herself focusing outside. Through the window, she watched an adorable little girl bounce down the sidewalk, her pigtails following in suit. The girl's parents walked next to her and let her grip tightly to their hands. They seemed to be blissfully in the short moment of the present, and for a second, jealousy overwhelmed Franziska.

The feeling stirred something subconscious, and she immediately walked out of the prosecutor's room, leaving a babbling detective even more confused than before.

She quickly walked up to a passerby and asked them for the date.

"The date? It's Valentine's Day, miss. February 14th."

_No wonder…_

Franziska felt nauseous all of sudden, mentally screaming at herself for not paying attention to the date. She wobbled a little bit and held her head with her shaking hands.

"A-are you okay?" The woman asked concernedly.

"Yes…Yes! Er, fine. I am fine. I just am needing water…"

Franziska pulled away suddenly and blankly ran down the hallway, outside into the open. Her stomach fluids swirled unhappily within, and she felt them climbing up her throat, threatening to make her vomit. She felt her palms become even sweatier inside her pristine gloves, and she ripped them off instantly. She slammed the back of her hand to her forehead and noticed a clear increase in temperature.

_No…no…no… Why couldn't I forget about this day?_

She gasped for air, feeling her breath shorten. She ran to the nearest alleyway and fell into the brick wall, sliding down until she was sitting. Her hands unbuttoned her vest, and she shook it off her shoulders. Her lungs desperately expanded, trying to gather all the oxygen they could. Droplets of sweat were still running down the front of her face, and she felt her eyes widen in realization.

Franziska turned over to her side and coughed ungratefully loudly. Her stomach heaved up anything it could, and the regurgitation made her feel breathless. She struggled to breathe between vomiting episodes, feeling her vision going blurry.

_The date. The date._

Her throat burned in the wash of the acid, and she felt herself break down into tears. Her conscious shook her head pitifully, watching the outward, physical effects of just a stupid date.

_Franziska, calm your stupid self down. It's just a date!_

"But it's not just a date!" She cried out, clutching her racing heart, feeling the blood in her face begin to fade away, paling her skin. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she felt her body slump over, in exhaustion of the few minutes that had passed by with incredible adrenaline. She heard footsteps pattering towards her, but she couldn't open her eyes at all to see who it was. Strong arms lifted her body, and her ears strained to hear the familiar voice. Her mind gave up, though, and she fell into an unconscious black state, endlessly vast.

Fear.

* * *

Franziska woke with a start, struggling to breathe again. She glanced around her and came to realize that she was in a bedroom.

That wasn't her own.

She felt her voice get caught in her throat, as she attempted to call out. She uttered a few throaty coughs, and a figure moved in the shadows of the room. She froze, her fingers gripping the ends of the blanket she was covered with. There was a slight movement at the foot of the bed, and she instinctively kicked out and hit, what appeared to be, a face.

There was a pitiful groan, and the lights switched on. Franziska felt her heart stop, when she realized that it was Miles crumpled up on the floor after her well-aimed kick. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up in electric shock, before she suddenly became cautious.

"Miles Edgeworth, what is going on here?" She shrieked, throwing a throw pillow at him. He knocked it aside, holding his face.

"Well, Franziska, what sort of way is this to treat me? I brought you here so that you wouldn't be suffering on the grimy floor of that alley!"

Franziska paused, remembering what had happened, "Oh…that…"

"You're lucky I was walking to the courthouse today! Didn't you have a case as well?"

Panic rose into her crystal blue eyes, "_OH MEIN GOTT! _You have to take me back to the courthouse! You _have _to! This case! I had it!" She stubbornly tried to pull herself out of bed, but Miles' firm grip held her down.

"No, Franziska! You have a fever, and from the looks of that environment, you were nauseous and everything, too."

The young woman reddened unexpectedly, "…you saw that?"

Miles sighed, "Yes, of course I saw that. Don't be so embarrassed though. Are you sick with something? I talked to Gumshoe about your physical condition, but he said you were fine moments earlier."

"Yes, I was fine… It…is nothing. I think I became sick because of those stupid, cheap chips the detective gave me!" She lied, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Miles shook his head, with a smirk on his face.

Franziska frowned, "What is with the shaking of the head, you prick?"

"Hey, watch the language. I just thought that you'd know by now that you can't lie to me. Gumshoe handed me your chips, saying that he still wanted you to eat them…" He waved them in front of her gawking face, "Of course, you shouldn't eat these anyways, if you're having stomach problems…"

She grumbled, "Bah, that old, worthless detective…"

Miles cracked an affectionate smile, "Don't be like that, Franziska. I know you only get stubborn when something's really bothering you… Tell me. And I know it's not Gumshoe this time."

"Nothing is bothering me! Stop with the worrying! I am fine! I just have a bit of a sickness right now, that is all…" Franziska growled, turning her face away from the other prosecutor.

Miles was silent.

"Then why did you keep crying out the date? You seemed to be obsessed with the fact that today is Valentine's Day."

Franziska felt that chilling, catatonic feeling again…

"Is it because you don't have a valentine or something like that?"

She whapped him on the head with another throw pillow, "Good grief, Miles Edgeworth! I am not that shallow!"

He groaned again, "Okay, okay! I'm sorry for guessing! Tell me what's bothering you then!" He implored.

Franziska was silent, and she twisted the edge of the blanket with her clammy hands. Miles put his warm hands on hers, and their eyes met. He gave a warm, comforting feel through his gaze, and she felt her own icy blue ones begin to melt…

"I…My mother left me this day, years ago…" She whispered.

Miles urged her on, as he stroked her hands with his thumbs.

"Well…and it was my fault." She lowered her eyes, "I complained about a stupid, frivolous thing, and then my mother became exasperated. She got into an argument with Papa, and then…he…just got so angry…" Her lower lip began to tremble, and she felt her eyes fill up with hot tears. They fell, although she struggled to hold them back. The pain was just as fresh as it was so many years ago, and it was painful to even breathe.

"You don't have to explain. It's okay." Miles spoke in a soft voice, and Franziska couldn't help but lean into him, shuddering in the memory of the caustic past. He rubbed her shoulders, his eyes closed in deep thought. He could only imagine what turmoil it must've caused the young woman all these years.

And on Valentine's Day of all days.

He didn't need to know all the details. All he needed to know was that she was hurt, deeply and permanently hurt. The only thing he was trying to convey right now was a feeling of security that he would always be there for her. No matter if she wanted him or not. He had always been that older, brotherly figure in her eyes, but in his own, she was so much more precious than a younger sister.

So much more precious.

She was someone that Miles couldn't bear to lose, and he was someone that Franziska couldn't afford to lose. They came from broken, intertwined pasts. Miles' family, although much more connected, had its share of unpredictable events… Franziska's household must've been a hidden living hell. Despite the façade of control and indifference she put on everyday, Miles was the only one who seemed to find something more inside her hard glare; a ghost of a distant child, still unwilling to grow up from the rocky times.

"You send me to these meetings with that teacher, but they do not help, Miles. Not at all. I do not feel any better…" She muttered bitterly.

"You don't have to go to them anymore if you don't want to."

She glanced up at him.

He smiled, "You have me. You can talk to me. Always know that. I know you hate when people coddle you, but this is more than coddling. I truly, deeply, sincerely care about every atom of your being, Franziska. I don't care how hard you protest, I will consistently be here, with my arms open for you to fall into. I will go out into the harshest of storms to retrieve every piece of your broken heart. I will put them together, and together, we will form your caring, loving heart. The heart that belongs to you."

The woman was speechless, "I-I-I…this…" Tears began to flow again, and Miles took her right cheek into one of his hands, turning her face to him. The tears stuck to her long eyelashes, and they streamed down her face unwillingly. He wiped them away causing her to smile slightly, a blush fading in.

"You are beautiful, Franziska. Just…please, know that."

"B-beautiful?"

"Yes, you are beautiful."

**AN: Hey guys, hope you all are having a great March! We're about to embark into April! :) Actually, personally, I'm not really happy about the spring time. I know that the flowers are pretty and stuff, but it's hard to enjoy spring when you have allergies. -_-" Ehhh...**

**Well, this story was partially inspired by the song "World Behind My Wall" by Tokio Hotel, so I don't take credit for the title. It's kind of their song, but it fit the plot, in my opinion. :) They're German, too, fitting Franziska's German-ness! :D And they're absolutely fabulous. I suggest that you guys listen to this song before/after you read this because then you'll see some of the inspirational bits! 3**

**Story's shipping of MilesXFranziska was suggested earlier by madscientists and RawkHawk2.0, more recently, on the last chapter. I noticed a greater increase in the number of reviews actually reviewing the story itself last time! :D I totally appreciate comments reviewing the story, as well as other shipping ideas! Some of you guys write really thoughtful reviews, and they hit deeply within me, really resonating. :) If you guys want to suggest any songs to reference for ideas, that'd also be pretty cool. I have a pretty diverse music library going from super Asian, to American pop, to rock, to indie, to German stuff (like Tokio Hotel), etc. so I'm open to a lot of stuff that isn't too offensive LOL. I just want to give you guys different things you could comment on, if not the two above! :)**

**Thank you guys so so SO very much for being completely and utterly wonderful~ See you all soon!**

**~ TM**

**(Edit: The odd way Franziska seems to speak in choppy English is meant to be that way. I always felt that she had an awkward German accent because she basically lived in Germany all her life soooo... And I hated her voice for the "Objection" stuff they did in the games. Wayyyyy too American sounding-ish-ness-stuff. :P)**


	6. Wind

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN/HAVE CREATED ANY OF THE CHARACTERS LISTED BELOW. (C) CAPCOM**

_**PhoenixXMaya**_

_**.:Wind:.**_

_Phoenix was exhausted. So incredibly exhausted that he didn't even have time to kiss Trucy goodbye on her way to school. So incredibly exhausted that he didn't even have the time to muss up Apollo's hair. So incredibly exhausted that he didn't even have the time to pack dinner for himself before he went to work._

_His eyes were droopy, his hair wilted, and his fingers were sluggish, as they attempted to play with as much color and energy as the night before. His reflexes were dampened during his card games, and he found himself losing all too easily to reckless opponents. His boss came up to him, clicking his tongue,_

"_Mr. Wright, just what is the matter with you, today? Usually you're very sociable and light-hearted…now, while you are an essential part to our bar, I am only going to let this slip by once. You lost us way too much money tonight." His boss fixed his calculating glasses and retreated to his office, before Phoenix could really understand what had just happened._

_He wasn't understanding anything._

_It was all a blur._

_All a blur after he had encountered her again…_

* * *

Trucy was just as loud as ever, "Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy…!" She bounced all around the room before taking to her father's bed and shaking him violently.

Phoenix groaned, "Trucy, whazzit? Whaz goin' on?" He struggled to sit up, while rubbing his eyes.

"_**Daddy!**_" Trucy whined, pouting at the foot of the bed. Phoenix gave an apathetic expression; his eyes glassy and still sleepy.

The young magician sighed, realizing she had to carry on with the conversation herself, "Okay well, Daddy, you know how today is supposed to be 'bring-your-parent-to-school day'?"

A grunt.

"Uh, well you kinda have to get up and get dressed…"

Another grunt.

"Y'know…you're kinda my parent…"

Not even a response this time.

Trucy threw her arms up into the air, "I swear, Daddy! Sometimes you are just so lazy! Come on! Up and at 'em! I got your clothes all laid out and everything! A nice spiffy suit to wear, now come on…!" She dragged Phoenix out of the bed with surprised strength and shoved him into the bathroom.

"Be changed in five minutes, old man, or I am gonna take away your laptop for a week! You stay up until 3 AM watching sappy dramas and stuff!" Trucy's motherly tone came out in her rant. She huffed, running back down the stairs, beginning to pick on Apollo, for no apparent reason.

Phoenix yawned loudly before finally deciding to take the initiative to get dressed. He was downstairs relatively slowly, and Trucy was tapping her foot, waiting at the front door.

"Come on, mister! Rub those sleepies out of your eyes! You have to drive!" She swooshed out the door and was already waiting in the backseat, indignantly. Phoenix glanced over to a still-shocked Apollo.

"Got you good, too, huh?" He half-smiled.

"Yeah. I think she keeps forgetting I'm older…" Apollo muttered, leaving for the court through other means, rather than trusting Phoenix to drop him off today.

Phoenix stepped out into the light of the morning, feeling slightly nostalgic with his old suit on. It was surprising that it still fit, but its tackiness still remained. Half of him wished he was going to court like Apollo, instead of having to go to his adopted daughter's parent-something-or-other day.

He slid into the car, and immediately felt Trucy's little hands fixing his hair, peeping out from underneath his beanie hat.

"Hey, hey, don't mess with my hair, Trucy!" He poked her side playfully, and she giggled, instantly releasing any hard feelings she had against him for this morning's tumbling events.

"Oh, Daddy. I swear, you're gonna love it. There's some girl I want you to meet…oh, and some boy I want you to meet, too…"

"Trucy, remember what I said about guys?" Phoenix's hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, and the car sped up a little.

"Daddy, calm down! We're just friends!"

"Swear on it."

"What?"

"Swear on it, like you've been swearing on other stuff this morning."

"Oh, okay. I swear, we're just friends!" She placed a gloved hand on her heart, and then leaned forward quickly to kiss her father on his cheek. He grinned, and she smiled, too.

"Now, where's your school again? Because I have no idea where we're going right now."

* * *

When the two finally arrived at school, Trucy stomped out angrily, upset once again, this time because they were late.

"Oh, Daddy! You drive like you're still a beginner!"

"Hey, I only got my driver's license recently, Trucy. Don't wanna crash us into another car or something." Phoenix awkwardly stepped out of the small car and gave the school a quick once-over. Small, crappy paint jobs, broken water fountain in the front… All basically what he expected, really. Trucy suddenly grabbed his arm and began to drag him into the school.

"Daddy! You still forgot! We're late, remember! Pick up the pace!" She barked orders at him and didn't give Phoenix the chance to feel antsy and nervous about going to this thing where all the other adults would probably give him raised eyebrows and strange looks.

As soon as they stepped into the classroom, a faintly remembered feeling settled into the pit of his stomach. That feeling of unsure, blatant, mindless fear, reminiscent of his days as a youthful attorney. He wasn't even in front of any clients or prosecutors though, just the judging eyes of know-it-all parents and interested children.

There was an ominous feel to the room…

He shifted his weight uncomfortably, as Trucy quickly assimilated into her group of friends, laughing and comparing daddies and mommies. Trucy was about to point Phoenix out as her own, proud daddy, but a young teacher quieted them all down and sat them into rows and rows of chairs. Parents all huddled in the back of the classroom, nudging one another slightly and muttering apologies left and right.

An oddly dressed young woman seemed to stare straight at Phoenix. The latter felt immediately uncomfortable all over again, as he tried to take his seat unnoticed. He glanced in the opposite direction; however the heat of her gaze still bore holes into the back of his head, and he was unable to shake off a rising feeling within him. The one-way staring contest seemed to continue for hours, until Phoenix finally had the courage to stare back. The jet-black eyes appeared cold for a moment, but they warmed up instantly. Phoenix felt them prick the back of his mind somewhere. Silence flew between them, fleeting but present. As he opened his mouth to say something to the mysterious woman and break though the invisible barrier, adults stood up all around him, blocking his view.

He stood up instantaneously and peered over the heads of others, but she was gone…

"Daddy! Are you still sleepy or something! I want you to meet my best friend! Her name is Pearl!" Trucy shook the dazed man violently, until he focused in on her friend "Pearl".

There was a sudden shriek, and both Trucy and Phoenix jumped back in surprise. Pearl stood there, trembling, with her wide eyes gathering all they could in disbelief and skepticism. She pointed at him accusatorily, shaking her head.

"_**That's**_ your daddy?" She squeaked, unable to bring about any louder of a sound.

Trucy crossed her arms, "Hey, what about my daddy? You don't even have a daddy…!"

"Now, Trucy!" Phoenix lowly warned her, pulling her back by the shoulder. Pearl didn't give either of them a second chance to explain. She ran out of the room with tears of shock streaming down her face.

"I thought you two were friends!"

"Oh…uh…"

* * *

Phoenix took it upon himself to go out into the abandoned playground in the back. He was determined to reconcile things with Pearl because the emotional outburst she displayed put an uncomfortable stone of guilt in his stomach. It seemed to only be a preface to what was lurking beneath…

He found her sitting on a lone swing, rocking back and forth ever so slightly. Phoenix found himself frozen for a few minutes, just staring at the girl that he had last saw when she was eight. It had been, what, seven years? He shook his head internally, taking the chance to study Pearl.

She had grown out her hair a little, and it wasn't done up in that cute fashion he was accustomed to seeing her put it in. It was swept back into a simple ponytail, with only a few strands flying free in the breeze. Her outfit was still reminiscent of the Kurain village's odd dressing style, but she had obviously matured from her childhood clothes. She wore clothes similar to what Maya had worn when…

Wait…

Maya…

_**Maya…**_

A shock of realization swept over his body, and he fell to his knees. Pearl heard the noise and whipped her head around. She saw Phoenix kneeling there, clearly shuddering. She refused to walk over to him, though. She merely stood up from her swing and just stared at him with the coldest eyes Phoenix ever saw. The child within her disappeared for that moment, hidden under the stiff rigidness of her stance. Her round baby-face was gone and replaced with that of a young teenager, and it chilled Phoenix to the bone to know that she was glaring at him with so much hatred…

Pearls hated him.

Hated him.

Hate.

"Mr. Wright… Correct?" The weight of the question bore down on Phoenix, and he felt his lungs shrinking. It was getting harder to breathe with the dryness of his throat. His eyes stung with hot tears but to let them fall would mean to let a cascade of pain pour out from the depths of wounds he thought he had sealed.

"Yeah…"

Mr. Nick was no more.

"I didn't know that your daughter was Trucy." She muttered, glancing down.

"She's adopted." He spoke up too quickly and was met with terrible distaste.

"Whatever."

His heart ripped out again, and he needed to cough a few times to cover up the immeasurable pain he felt surging through his body. It latched onto his mind and poked fun at him so intensely, that all at once…the light in the world, all of it, seemed to disappear right in front of him. And he was left blind, grasping desperately for any leftover pieces to reassemble his heart.

A perfect pearl turned dun.

"How have you been doing lately?" It took all his strength to bring himself to his feet and force himself to stop shaking.

"Fine."

"And Maya?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her?"

"I…don't know where she is."

Silence.

"Mr. Wright, you promised to come back…" Pearl's façade cracked.

"Pearls, wait! Please listen first…!"

"_**Don't you dare tell me to wait and listen!" **_Her sudden shriek pierced the air and quieted Phoenix. She trembled with confusion and overflowing sadness,

"Mystic Maya and I waited for you to return! To tell us all your adventures! And then we hear on the news that you lost your stupid attorney badge! You're a bum now! Look at you! You're a worthless hobo that left me and Mystic Maya! You don't care about us! You didn't even remember us when we were in the same room together! You don't even remember the times we had together, huh? You don't remember your promise to Mystic Maya, huh? You're so oblivious to everything! And I…! _**AND I…!"**_The words tumbled out in a furious stream of consciousness, pelting themselves at Phoenix's consciousness, ebbing away his sanity.

"_**AND I FUCKING HATE YOU."**_

More silence. More accursed silence.

That sole statement had eaten up anything else that could've been said.

Pearl's rage was stopped only with a cold hand on her shoulder. She glanced up and met Maya's tired gaze. She watched Maya silently, as she lifted her hand from her shoulder and walked over to Phoenix. Pearl and Phoenix stared at the young Kurain leader, both with tears in their eyes.

"Maya…"

"Phoenix." It sent an electric shock through Phoenix, as she stepped even closer.

"Maya, I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me! I can't believe what I've caused… The way Pearls just screamed… I-I-I can't believe my stupidity. I'm so, so sorry. I promised Mia I'd take care of you. And I promised Pearls I'd take care of you. But I abandoned you because I'm a worthless human being who can't see the perfection that I could've come home to…!"

Maya took his hands into her own, and although they were both trembling, the tremors stopped with the contact, "…do you…understand…how much…I missed you?" Maya's voice was quiet and subdued, as if she was exhausted. Exhausted with life's complications. Exhausted with the separation between them. Exhausted with the love that refused to burn out within her.

"Yes…no… Yes, I've missed you so much, too…" Phoenix stammered for words, tightening his hold on Maya's hands.

She smiled weakly, "You're such an idiot, Nick."

"Yes, yes, I'm an idiot."

"I wish I could be with you…"

"Of course! Please, let me take you both with me! Let me take care of you like I should've!" He interjected.

"But I can't."

"…why?"

"I can't because…" A tear streamed down the side of her face, as she closed her eyes, "Because I'm not with you."

Phoenix clenched onto her hands even tighter, but he felt them slipping away. He felt her slipping away…

"Because I'm dead." Her eyes were sorrowful, filled with shame, as if it were her fault. Her figure gained luminescence, and color began to drain from her face. Phoenix screamed in anguish of the act and kept grasping for her, in vain. Pearl's eerie figure was visible through Maya's disappearing self, and in a single breath of air, the dark haired woman was gone.

All that was left was Pearl swinging on that lonesome swing again,

"She killed herself when she heard the news of your loss of your attorney badge. We tried searching for you for days beforehand, but after a few weeks, we gave up. She gave up entirely…"

Pearl stopped swinging, "She told me that I needed to carry on with the Kurain village. She was so sorry that she had to leave, but the pain she felt everyday without you was too great. I didn't want to make her live through the torture that Mystic Mia went through."

Phoenix felt a burdening cloud of history fall upon his shoulders and shackle his arms and legs.

"And now, I'm alone."

There was another breeze.

"And now, you're alone, too."

**AN: Hi, you guys! Hope you're enjoying your spring break! (if you're in the US, that is) But if you're not, I hope you're just enjoying your week! **

**Er, sorry for any notifications on this story recently. I was fixing up some minor errors with headings and such... OCD? Very.**

**SOOOOOO MANY PEOPLE ASKED FOR A PHOENIX AND MAYA ONESHOT... So, obviously, I simply HAD to do one. (Personally, I think their relationship is more brother-sister, but bah, that's just my old opinion. None of you need to care about it anywho!) I made this one slightly supernatural ('cause it's the Feys), and I made it kind of tragic because I wanna torture Nick because I love Nick because he's super awesome, and yeah. :) I made Pearly a little bit of a defiant teenager, too, WHICH NEARLY BROKE MY HEART AS I WAS WRITING IT, but I hope the emotion translates over to you guys! That's my main goal. :)**

**This oneshot was suggested by madscientists (I seem to have done all of your requests for some reason, haha), epicOBJECTIONoliver (sort of, kinda), InsertAPenNameHere, Gabriel Bryde, and BlackWiddow!**

**Thanks so much for your support! All of you guys! You're all such wonderful, wonderful people. :) I simply adore reading all of your positive feedback and comments! Don't forget to comment/review on this chapter, and I will, once again, pick a random couple to try my writing skills on! Don't forget, any criticism of any chapter will also be taken in gratefully! (because I'm not a perfect writer, and I'm sure I can fix my horrible writing vomit in one way or another, haha)**

**AGAIN, I LOVE ALL OF YOU.**

**PEACE OFF!**

**~ TM**


	7. Because of You

_******DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN/HAVE CREATED ACE ATTORNEY OR ANY AFFILIATED CHARACTERS**_

_**GumshoeXMaggey**_

_**.:Because of You:.**_

"_Gumshoe indeed! Like gum on your shoe, he's impossible to get rid of!"_

_Yeah, pal, so it's true. I act like a wad of gum on everyone's shoe. Something that gets passed around from one person to the next, as they embark on their road of life, only to step in me, sticky gum._

…

_Don't act like it ain't true, pal._

_Trying to make me feel better about it isn't gonna do anyone good. Mr. Edgeworth's never wrong, anyways._

…

_What do you mean?_

…

_Really?_

…

_You're kidding…!_

…

_No way! That happened to me the other day on the way to the dollar store!_

Relationships are kind of fuzzy on the good detective's side. Whether they're romantic or not, he was never good at keeping them. It was sort of difficult for him to manage a healthy relationship when he was tripping and tumbling over his own two feet in his own, disarranged life. People liked to keep relationships with him at a simple acquaintance level. Anything more and he was a nuisance.

As always.

Everyone at the precinct took up to blaming things on him constantly. It was an easy way to get out of trouble and to even get a little more money in the next paycheck. Because gum is almost as ubiquitous as it is annoying. The detective could be replaced at any given moment. Of course, he hopes that this will not happen any time soon, but that doesn't keep him from being extra careful. The detective looks up to Mr. Edgeworth as a close colleague, even a friend, but even the prosecutor has ill will towards him at times.

The only person that would always believe in him.

That would always cheer him on.

That would always be right by him.

…

He thinks you should know who that person is, anyways, so he's not going to say it.

…

He's blushing.

…

Oh, fine. He'll say it for you anyways, pal: "It's Maggey alright, pal?"

…

Did she hear that?

…

Great, now she's approaching.

…

She's got that gleam in her eyes.

…

Run! …er, hide! …er, he doesn't know!

…

He doesn't want to come out from under the table.

…

Yeah, she probably could make him, anyways.

…

She doesn't look angry…?

…

…

…

…

Did she just do that?

…

And is he reciprocating the gift?

…

Her face is so soft in his hands. That can't be natural.

…

She's so… so… so…

…

Hang on, he just has to finish kissing her, and then maybe he'll finish his thoughts.

…

Or not…

**AN: Hey, what's up you guys! (hasn't recently uploaded anything, wait oh yeah, that's because she's lazy, and this is obviously normal... -_-") ****Sorry about the lack of updating! :P This is a particularly short drabblish type thing between them as well... I guess I really don't have any excuses... excluding APs, the end of the year, my instrumental practices, my science research, ARGHHHH (EXPLODE) **

**...er...ah...my hemorrhoids...**

**JUST KIDDING. Anyways, I'd like to thank BlackWiddow for this suggestion! Your review was extremely insightful, and I super duper appreciated it~ **

**Judge of Insanity, I think you're my first anonymous reviewer, so I'd like to send hugs and kisses to you! :D Your request was temptingly difficult, and I REALLY considered about doing it, but I can't ignore Gumshoe and Maggey. They're just too adorable. :)**

**ANYWAYS: so leave a comment/review telling me what you thought of this chapter, and tell me what pairing you'd like to see me write about!**

**Thanks so much for reading! It means so much to me :) Even if I don't get a lot of reviews, doing this for you guys is just a bunch of fun! **

**BAI.**

**~ TM**


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